A MULTI-PLATFORM COMPUTER-ASSISTED INDIVIDUAL FAMILY SERVICEPLAN FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER-ASSISTED METHOD OF DEVELOPING THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILY SERVICE PLAN (IFSP) REQUIRED OF EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AS PART OF THE 1986 EDUCATION OF THE HANDICAPPED ACT. BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING DEVELOPMENTAL PHASES OF THE BIRTH TO FIVE YEAR OLD POPULATION, SPECIFIC LONG TERM ACHIEVEMENTS ARE VERY DIFFICULT FOR PROFESSIONALS TO PREDICT. AS A RESULT, HAND-WRITTEN IFSP'S MUST BE CONSTANTLY MODIFIED TO REFLECT CHILD GROWTH AND NEW DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS - A SIGNIFICANT ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN FOR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND A CONFUSING PROCESS FOR FAMILIES. A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE THERAPIST AND TEACHERS TO MONITOR GROWTH AND PLAN FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MANNER IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF SERVICE FOR A CONSTANTLY INCREASING POPULATION. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN IFSP SYSTEM THAT WILL: 1) PROVIDE BASIC ADMINISTRATIVE DATA ON EACH CHILD; 2) ACCURATELY DESCRIBE SKILLS, ABILITIES AND NEEDS OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY; 3) OUTLINE NEAR-TERM GOALS AND OBJECTIVESFOR THE CHILD AND FAMILY; 4) MONITOR THE OUTLINED GOALS, NOTING ACHIEVEMENT, ADDING NEW GOALS, AND MODIFYING GOALS BASED UPON THE CHILD'S GROWTH; 5) PROVIDE CHILD AND FAMILY WITH CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE IFSP'S AND PROGRESS REPORTS. PHASE I WILL RESULT IN THE COMPLETION OF A NEEDS ASSESSMENT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON HOW THE IFSP IS DEVELOPED AT EARLY INTERVENTION SITES, THE CONTENTS OF THE IFSP, AND THE GOALS THAT PROGRAM STAFF, DIRECTORS, AND STATE PART H COORDINATORSHAVE FOR THE IFSP FORM. BASED UPON THAT INFORMATION, A PROTOTYPE IFSP FORM WILL BE DEVELOPED AND PROGRAMMED ON AN MS-DOS COMPUTER. PHASE II WILL RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLETE IFSP SYSTEM ON AN MS-DOS, APPLE II AND MACINTOSH COMPUTER. ALL PLATFORMS WILL BE IDENTICAL IN OPERATION. AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LIBRARY OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO THE NEEDS OF EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS.